


Frostfur's Legacy

by CosmicButterfly



Category: Warriors - Erin Hunter
Genre: Gen
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2017-08-12
Updated: 2017-08-14
Packaged: 2018-12-14 07:43:46
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 5
Words: 3,018
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/11778540
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/CosmicButterfly/pseuds/CosmicButterfly
Summary: Frostfur chose to stay behind with a small group of Elders as her friends and family embark on The Great Journey. The group faces many challenges and their hardest one yet, surviving on their own. With the help of a few friends new and old, Frostfur and the gang learn to move on and begin their own journey.





	1. Prologue

Frostfur watched as every cat she had ever known and loved faded over the distant horizon. Her heart pounded in her chest, eyes welling with the sting of heartache. It was hard to look away, despite wanting to so desperately. Everything she had ever known had disappeared in an instant.

At last she was able to pull herself away, to look back at the three cats behind her. They, too, had watched their whole lives vanish in the blink of an eye. The four of them were all they had left now. Loudbelly the RiverClanner snorted, “Guess we’d better start callin’ ourselves ElderClan now.” Silence filled the void, no cat even dared to remark.

A soft sigh filled the void as Frostfur turned to gaze at Mudfur’s body. They had used whatever flowers and grasses they could find to prepare the old Medicine Cat for burial. Loudbelly and Shadepelt had stood over the tom-cat and despite the former’s attempt at a light quip, the two looked equally devastated. “He was a great Medicine Cat..” Shadepelt murmured, bending down to touch her nose to his ear. Loudbelly nodded in agreement, “Always knew just what to say and do..” The two RiverClanner’s lowered themselves, preparing for vigil. Soon, Speckletail joined them and even Frostfur, who gave one last defeated glance at the place where the last cat had vanished, moved to touch her nose to Mudfur’s flank.

It was a long night and the few times Frostfur looked up at the inky black sky overhead, she noticed the stars dimming. Even StarClan was leaving them behind.

Frostfur had to tell herself over and over again that they had chosen to stay for a good reason. They were old, and the two RiverClan Warriors needed watching over if they were to stay for Mudfur after all. It had been the hardest decision of her life, harder than raising a litter of kits, which was no meager task.

Despite it all, she knew eventually, Mudfur’s body wouldn’t be the last they would bury under dim starlight.


	2. Chapter 2

It had taken a long time before anyone was able to muster the energy and courage to bury Mudfur. Shadepelt and Loudbelly had stared for a long time at the body of their former Medicine Cat. Someone they had grown up with, had known for their whole lives. Frostfur helped them dig the hole at the edge of the clearing, under a beautiful oak tree.The silence of grief swept over them, it was a sobering moment for all.

Speckletail was the first to break the silence, noting that they hadn’t eaten all day. “I could stretch my legs.” She meowed softly, turning to look behind her at the forest surrounding them. Loudbelly’s stomach rumbled as the thought of food penetrated their small circle. Frostfur nodded. “Myself as well,” She murmured, getting to her paws and looking at the two RiverClan cats. “Why don’t you two collect moss for nests?”

They nodded, no one having the energy to argue. It was easiest to go with the flow at that point.

—

It was sunhigh when Frostfur arrived back at their makeshift camp. The molly was greeted by three heads swinging in her direction. Loudbelly looked at the small mouse dangling from her maw with an eagerness that was quickly deflated. Frostfur dropped the prey in front of the three cats. “Did you catch anything, Speckletail?” The other she-cat only looked to the side at the similarly skinny looking mouse she had caught. It would be a long day. With a sigh, Frostfur spoke, “I suppose this will have to do.”

Their defeated silence was interrupted by a familiar voice, calling to them from the other side of Fourtrees. They all looked up in unison at the small black frame waving it’s tail in greeting. Frostfur squinted a moment, before her face lit up like fireworks on a cool summer night. “Ravenpaw!” She called, waving him over with her tail. The younger tom bounded over, dropping a fat squirrel along with a similarly large mouse at their paws. “Thought you could use a good meal!” He chirped, smiling like an old friend.

“Ravenpaw how in the name of StarClan did you know to find us here?” Speckletail shot up, a wide grin on her cheeks. The two RiverClan cats stared quizzically at the small tom. “Is this one of the cats who helped us defeat Scourge?” Shadepelt questioned, turning to Loudbelly with a shrug. Ravenpaw nodded. “I met Firestar and the others at Highstones, they said you had stayed behind. I couldn’t bring myself to head home without at least stopping by with some prey.”

Frostfur chuckled, my he had grown more confident. As a young cat, she’d hardly heard a word or two out of him at once. “Well I’ll be, you’ve done some growing there, Ravenpaw. Look at you, such a handsome young lad!” Frostfur turned to the two confused cats, noting as Ravenpaw ducked his head at the compliment, “This is Ravenpaw, former ThunderClan apprentice. He lives in the barn with Barley.” Ravenpaw gave a small wave of his tail in greeting, rather shly.

“Thanks anyway for the prey, Ravenpaw,” Loudbelly meowed, stooping to dig into the squirrel. Shadepelt gave the elderly tom a good swatting over the ears, “You’ll have to share, Loudbelly!” The tom grunted, giving his clanmate a bothered glare.

“Forgive us, Ravenpaw, we’re rather hungry… none of us have eaten since, well, I don’t quite remember, honestly.” Frostfur shook her head, a deep sigh setting over them like a fog. “Well, we have plenty of mice back at the barn!” The small tom’s brow creased in his attempt at persuasion. ‘There he is,’ thought Frostfur, recalling how worrisome the young cat could be.

“The barn you say?” Loudbelly piped up, looking a little too eager. “That’s quite a ways off,” meowed Speckletail, curling her tail over her paws, “I’m not sure we’d make it.” Frostfur gave her small group a once over. They were frail and tired-looking. “I think Speckletail is right..” The Elder looked at Ravenpaw, “We chose to stay behind when everyone left because we knew wouldn’t make it.”

Ravenpaw struggled to hide a wince, his brow falling ever more as his worry grew. “Think about it, please? The journey to the barn won’t be as long and hard as finding an entirely new place. P-plus we have plenty of prey to go around!” The loner began kneading the ground anxiously, he wanted to give them a fighting chance.

Frostfur rested her tail-tip on Ravenpaw’s shoulder, “We’ll think about it, I promise. But for now, why don’t you settle in with the rest of us for a bit? Perhaps we could tell a few stories of the old days, wouldn’t you like that?” Frostfur glanced at the small group again. It would be a nice distraction, and she recalled Elders noting that Ravenpaw had often visited them for stories. Perhaps they could end their day on a good note.


	3. Chapter Two

A stiff breeze blew across the clearing, ruffling the five cat’s fur and rustling leaves. Clouds blanketed the inky black sky, muting the light of the already dim stars and moon. They’d been telling stories and sitting together for hours, using their time to forget about their troubles. “And that’s how Leopardstar first learned how to swim, if you could call it swimming!” Shadepelt was grinning wildly at the memory, it felt nice to relive moments and forget about current troubles. Loudbelly heaved a great chuckle, his whiskers trembling as he did.

Speckletail giggled, nudging Frostfur gently with her shoulder. The small white elder smiled and glanced over at Ravenpaw who seemed to have his mind on other things. Frostfur had noted that, despite being tied to the same code and ancestors, the Clans were all very much different. It was actually pretty nice to see the same story from different sides. The ex-ThunderClan molly found comfort in knowing the other clans faced similar problems, knowing that she had never been alone in her fears would have been nicer as a younger cat Maybe even the Clans could have gotten along better.. Though, it was too late to do anything now.

Ravenpaw glanced up at the sky, his tail brushing along the ground anxiously. He turned his gaze on Frostfur and motioned to the other part of the clearing. The she-cat squinted, then slowly got to her paws, taking her time to stretch before fully standing. “I suppose we ought to head to bed, it’s getting late.” She meowed, though not as enthusiastically as she had been a moment ago hearing the stories. The others scarcely noticed, though nodded distractedly, continuing to list their tales of adventure.

Old and young alike skirted the clearing, finding a nice spot under one of the large oaks and spoke in hushed tones. “I know you don’t think you can make it, but I’m sure you all can, Frostfur. Please, just trust me, it will all be better if you could just come live with us. We have all the prey we’d ever need and even some to spare!” His face was creased with worry, his body rigid and on edge. What was he so worried about?

“We’re fine here, Ravenpaw. We lived in this forest, spent our whole lives here, I don’t see why we need to leave now.” A small whine came from Ravenpaw’s throat as he grew more and more worried. “You’ll die out here all alone! What am I supposed to do with myself knowing that? Please, come to the barn and you can go peacefully, well fed and of old age, like every cat should!” Frostfur blinked, her nose twitching as she thought it over. “I chose the life of a Warrior and like one I will die” She meowed firmly, looking up at the grey-covered sky.

“You’re being foolishly stubborn, Frostfur! What happened to the cat who would do anything for her clanmates? The one who raised so many kits into strong cats who weren’t afraid to be scared? You’re being ridiculous!” He squeaked, taking a step back, realizing he had stepped out of line. The elder closed her eyes, breathing in the cool night air. All around her crickets chattered and flies buzzed. How could he ask her to give up all she had ever known.. Again?

“Just.. just sleep on it.” Ravenpaw refused to meet her gaze, turning around, tail drooping, to go lay in a nest he had scraped up earlier. Frostfur stared after him for a moment, her stomach rumbling loudly in protest. She was hungry again.


	4. Chapter Three

Frostfur woke with a start, dawn peaking over the horizon. A sharp wind whistled past, ruffling her fur. It took her a moment to realize where she was, to gather her surroundings and remember everything that had taken place. Blinking, Frostfur stood and clambered out of her nest, a large yawn protruding from her jaws.

The molly scanned the Fourtrees clearing, searching to see if any other cat had gotten up. Ravenpaw’s nest was empty, though she noted a small pile of prey stacked near the middle of the clearing. Wrinkling her nose, she wondered how far out the tom must have gone to get that.

Diving into a quick stretch, Frostfur turned over last night’s argument with her brother over and over in her mind. What was her best course of action? The she-cat trotted to the small prey pile and chose a mouse, carefully biting into the still-warm flesh. Chewing thoughtfully, she processed the entire situation, for the first time since her clanmates had left.

It was hard to swallow after that. They were alone with no-cat but each other. Ravenpaw had a point, fine, she’d give him that much. Glancing up from her meal, she spotted the sleek black tom as he returned to the makeshift camp. No food dangled from his jaws.

“I thought you all could get a head start on prey.” He meowed softly, padding towards her. Frostfur looked at the mouse, her stomach turned. “That was very kind of you.” A long, awkward silence passed between them until both looked up and opened their maws at the same time.

“Go ahead,” Frostfur dipped her head diligently, allowing her younger brother to speak first. Ravenpaw hesitated a moment before falling into a sitting position. “I shouldn’t have gotten so worked up last night..” He ducked his head, looking at his paws, “but I still think you should talk it over with the others first,” he looked back at her, “after all, it’s their decision too.” Frostfur licked her lips, searching for the right words. Her gaze landed on the four sleeping figures resting against the oak tree they’d chosen as a ‘den’ of sorts. A simple reminder that this was Fourtrees, not her home.

At long last she nodded, looking up at Ravenpaw with a sad, solemn gaze. “I’m tired, Ravenpaw. These legs don’t carry me as fast anymore and my eyes don’t see as well..” She sighed softly, looking down at her paws. “But you’re right, it’s their choice too.” Ravenpaw gave her a sad smile and gently bumped her shoulder with his. “Hey, what are siblings for?” Frostfur returned the smile and touched her tail-tip to Ravenpaw’s shoulder. A small reminder for her to breathe and take things one step at a time.

—

They convened at sunhigh, sitting in a small circle to discuss their options. It was a tough conversation for every cat involved. Ravenpaw confessed that on his way down from Highstones, he had noticed the rapid way the two-legs had begun chewing away at the forest. ShadowClan was completely gone, most of RiverClan along with it. It was only a matter of time before it reached fourtrees.

Loudbelly and Speckletail had seemed the most eager to leave for the barn, while Frostfur and Shadepelt had wanted to stay, to see the end of their home. In the end, they decided to wait things out.

Ravenpaw would go ahead, return to the barn and wait for the older cats to join them if they wished, despite the younger’s protest. They claimed they would slow him down, to which he replied that he didn’t mind. They, unfortunately, did.

The young cat left them with his catch and promised to bury a few things for them along the trail, in case they had no luck in hunting. Frostfur was the last to say goodbye as Ravenpaw prepared himself for the small journey ahead. “I’d stay longer but..” Frostfur gave the tom a smile, “You need to be with Barley, I understand.” Ravenpaw looked behind his shoulder, at the winding path behind him. “He’s probably wondering where I am.” The tom-cat gave a small chuckle, a soft purr rumbling in his belly. “Fare well, Ravenpaw, may our paths cross again soon.”

“Frostfur, promise me you’ll come to get me if you need anything?” Frostfur smiled and touched her nose to one of the small tom’s ears, “I promise.”


	5. Chapter Four

Things were rough after Ravenpaw left, and that was nicely putting it. Their food pile quickly depleted, even after rationing what was left. The group was finding it hard to hunt and couldn’t go far to find better land. Frostfur was starting to regret her choice.

On a particularly warm day, she was out on a small walk with Shadepelt, searching for prey and hoping that the activity would take her mind off of the hunger. They padded along in silence, side by side. Steering their thoughts away from the pain was enough to exhaust them into their own heads, no energy for words.

Frostfur was the first to pause, finding the faint scent of mouse among the bushes. They had gone fairly far from Fourtrees, nearly halfway to WindClan’s old camp. Frostfur touched her tail-tip to Shadepelt’s shoulder and gestured to the land ahead of them. The ex-RiverClanner lowered her body, falling into a shaky hunter’s crouch. Frostfur quickly followed suit and the two stalked the scent as far as they could until a small brown blurr dashed in front of them.

Shadepelt spotted it first and dashed towards it, extending her claws eagerly. Frostfur darted ahead of the mouse, hoping to catch it if Shadepelt couldn’t. The two worked silently, like a pair of brand new cogs spinning a wheel. The ex ThunderClan she-cat pounced first, landing square on the creature. Quickly she delivered a swift death upon the mouse and for a long moment, the two stared at its lifeless body. Should they eat it, or take it back to Loudbelly and Speckletail?

“Good catch.” Shadepelt was the first to break the silence and Frostfur looked up at her, startled. “Th-thanks..” She murmured, at long last picking the mouse up. “We ought to get this back to Fourtrees,” another long silence filled the air until the two finally turned and padded back in the direction of their camp. However, before they could make it back, a loud rustling in the bushes and a soft cry would startle them into stopping. Frostfur’s ears perked up and she nearly dropped her mouse.

The two veered off the path and while Shadepelt nosed around the bushes, Frostfur carefully buried her mouse. “Frostfur, you ought to come look at this..” Shadepelt’s voice echoed from where she had disappeared near the base of an old oak. Following her instincts and the sound of her companion’s voice, Frostfur dove into the bushes.

It was an odd, though not entirely uncommon sight that beheld the elder as she peered over the brush. Certainly something she never would have guessed. In a flash of weakness, disappointment sunk her belly like a stone in the water.

There in the shade, under a tree root, lay two small kittens, and one slightly larger kitten stood just in front of them, teeth bared and trying its best to hiss.

Frostfur blinked in astonishment, almost taking a step back at the weight of the situation. “Hello, dears..” She meowed carefully, tilting her head out of sheer curiosity. “Where are your parents?”


End file.
